The
Blues is an art form with musical influence that belies its infrequent
emergence in the mainstream. There are only a handful of artists that
can be genuinely characterized as Blues that achieve the acclaim,
respect and rewards that come with widespread appeal. Those that do
acquire it may look and sound as different as Bonnie Raitt and Stevie
Ray Vaughan, but there is one common ingredient for all of them -- the
main stage performance. Only the biggest, boldest and talented of
entertainers have the ability to turn the impersonal nature of the main
stage into an intimate and successful personal connection. With
Hard Believer, his first
release on the premiere blues imprint, Alligator Records, Tommy Castro
makes a strong case that he is an artist of that caliber, proving that
he has the musical chops, the energy, charisma and gravitas to captivate
audiences and cross boundaries, while preaching the blues to
congregations of new fans.

The
tracks on Hard Believer are
filled with passionate and steady grooves, and it kicks off with
“Definition of Insanity”, an up-tempo tale of a relationship burning too
hot. “We go together like fire and gasoline,” he warns. The opening song’srich
horn arrangements and limber guitar figures provide the pulse while
Castro delivers a gritty, soulful vocal telling a cautionary narrative
on the topic of Love. The tight, crisp horn arrangements from Keith
Crossan (tenor, baritone sax) and Tom Poole (trumpet, flugelhorn, valve
trombone) weave throughout the mix like silk; the versatile duo’s fine
work is featured prominently on
Hard Believer. Rather than being a distraction, they are ,instead,
perfectly integrated into the arrangements, providing balance and
counterpoint that easily could’ve been overwhelming in less able hands
(and ears!).

The
next song, “It Is What It Is,” an up-tempo number with slashing
interplay between Castro and his band, will shake the boogie out of even
the most reserved listener. A solid, confident rocker, ‘It Is What It
Is’ was co-written by Tommy’s close friend, the late Stephen Bruton, and
the song captures Bruton’s assertive and stylish signature sound
beautifully. The CD’s title song, “Hard Believer,” brings a slow,
soulful vibe to the party while mining a mellow Memphis sound that
Castro revisits throughout the CD. The tasteful and almost effortless
integration of the horns contributes mightily to the listening
experience on Hard Believer,
and “Monkey’s Paradise” finds Castro and the band hitting full stride,
pumping out an energetic number that’s equal parts Johnnie Taylor and
Robert Palmer. Urbane and sophisticated, “Monkey’s Paradise” rollicks
and swings with the infectious keyboards of Tony Stead, the bouncing
bass and drum lines of Scot Sutherland and Ronnie Smith providing the
octane. It’s an absorbing and captivating track, one that helps
establish Castro as an artist at the pinnacle of his craft.

On
“Ninety-Nine and One Half” he revisits Wilson Pickett’s 1966 chestnut,
locking into the original’s deep, funky soul rhythms effortlessly.
Castro’s emotive vocal reading fondly telegraphs Pickett, while his
fiery guitar shows him to be a facile string stretcher, evoking early
Jimi Hendrix and Steve Cropper in one tune!No small feat on that. Next on the platter is “Back up Plan”,
with a clever lyric and easy beat that’s familiar and true blue.
Co-writing credit on this one goes to Rick Estrin, widely regarded as
the top Blues composer of his generation. Next, Castro takes on Bob
Dylan’s proselytizing epic, “Gotta Serve Somebody,” giving it a forward,
bouncing backbeat, with Crossan’s and Poole’s horns massaging the mix
comfortably. “Trimmin’ Fat” is a sarcastic rocker, with a Texas
roadhouse arrangement a’ la
Delbert McClinton, that satisfies like an ice cold Lone Star on a hot
day. In between the lyrical angst of unemployment, Castro and the band
lay it out with a groove that’s impossible to sit still to. “Fat” is
quite irresistible and greasy, featuring rhythm guitarist John Porter on
some of the finest slide guitar this side of Ry Cooder. “Make It Back To
Memphis” is a finger-popping Blues-Rock number that will shake the most
hardened Beale Street denizens to their soul. MIBTM seems like a natural
encore song, one that will have audiences singing along like it’s a
weekend May. The band’s
well-done covers of “Victims of the Darkness” (penned by Allen
Toussaint) and The Righteous Brothers’ “My Babe” are both Stax inspired,
soul-blues workouts that reveal deft arrangements and compelling
counterpoint lines of the highest quality.

Instrumentally, the musicianship on
Hard Believer is faultless;
this is a disciplined band, rich in talent, tones and textures. The core
group is rounded out by percussionist Lennie Castro, rhythm guitarist
Tal Morris and background vocalist Amber Morris, making this a 10-piece
band, one that could easily overpower the listener and drown-out the
vocals in a cacophony of competing instruments.
Yet this is never a worry as
Castro and producer John Porter have created a CD that provides this
generous ensemble with carefully crafted arrangements and wide space in
the mix. The result is a realistic and three-dimensional recording. The
final track on Hard Believer
is the only one that seems a little out of place. “The Trouble With
Soul” is a soft, jazzy number (written by L.A. native Jeff Turmes --
check him out) with Castro’s and Morris’ guitars weaving a breezy, moody
L.A. cool jazz-blues feel in conjunction with Stead’s bell-like stabs at
the Rhodes keyboards. It gives the feel of an informal cocktail club at
1 a.m., and while it’s a great little song, it doesn’t have the same
larger-than-life presence as the rest of the disc.

In
Hard Believer, Castro has
crafted a CD that reveals him to be an entertainer of the highest
calibre. From the first cut to the last, it is a sonic testament writ
large from the main stage, and that is a place where Tommy Castro
clearly belongs.